UNIONDALE, N.Y.—For more than three hours, the Nassau Coliseum crowd mockingly serenaded Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby. “Holt-by, Holt-by,” Islanders fans chanted at every available opportunity.
Holtby expertly tuned it out. But when the constant noise abruptly stopped after Nicklas Backstrom’s game-winning goal in overtime, filling the coliseum with an unsettling quiet, Holtby allowed himself to pay attention to his surroundings.
“I heard the yelling in my ears from my teammates, so I thought that it was the loudest it got all game,” he deadpanned.
In the Capitals’ 2-1 Game 4 win over the Islanders, evening the playoff series, Holtby was the steadying presence he’s been all season.